Collar stiffener



June 21, 1949. L. D. McNElLL v 2,474,058

COLLAR STIFFENER Filed April 50, 1945 a fa /s 0177's" Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAR STIFFENER Locksley D. McNeill, Winnipeg, Manitoba,

My invention relates to collar stiifeners, an object being to provide a device of the character hereinafter to be described by means of which the frontal parts of a soft collar, and particularly the type of collar having long points, may be preserved against curling at the points or presenting a rumpled appearance, at the same time, however, permitting a natural form-fitting or molded appearance characteristic of a well-made, well-fitting soft collar when newly put on, in contrast to the stiff and obviously reinforced and often lumpy appearance which soft collars acquire with the use of presently available forms of stiffener.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is of conspicuously inexpensive construction, and the tab of which may, if desired, be modified as to shape in a few seconds by the user with the aid of a pair of scissors.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective representation of a soft, long pointed collar illustrating one of my stifieners in situ.

Figure 2 is an illustration of a collar stiffener substantially similar to that illustrated in Figure 1 but indicating the manner in which the tab, may if desired, be cut by the user at the corners thereof, or manufacturer to the shape illustrated.

Figure 3 is an illustration of my collar stiffener but employing a plastic pin including a plastic web portion.

Figure 4 is an illustration of a slightly modified form of collar stiffener conforming to my invention wherein, however, the shank portion of the pin projects from the lower end of the front edge thereof, at the junction which the said front edge makes with the rearwardly and upwardly inclining edge.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

It is well recognized that the presently available forms of collar stiffener uniformly fail effectively to conceal their presence, by contrast giving to the collar an unnatural stretched-out appearance, often showing bumps and ridges of displeasing appearance.

My invention therefore is intended to, and succeeds in overcoming such objections, while at the same time functioning effectively to prevent the curling of the collar points and other charac teristics of dishevelment which all collar stiffeners are intended to eliminate.

My invention accordingly comprises a tab portion I of substantially triangular configuration, being formed of a semi-rigid but sufliciently pliable material such as buckram folded back upon itself along what I term the front edge 2 thereof, and which edge is intended to lie substantially parallel with and adjacent at least the mid-sec tion 3 of the front edge 4 of a soft collar 5.

Secured to the tab portion is a pin 6, and by reference to Figures 2 to 4 inclusive, it will be seen that this pin comprises a shank portion '1 and what I designate as a web portion 8 inas much as the same is intended to reinforce a portion of the area of the tab. In Figures 2 and 4, the web portion 8 takes the form of a substantially triangular frame, whereas in Figure 3, wherein the pin as-a-whole is composed of plastic, the web portion is solid. In both instances however, the said web portion is secured against the tab, either to one of the external surfaces thereof, or interposed between the two plies thereof.

In addition to the reinforcement provided by the webbed portion 8 of my pin, it will be seen by reference to the phantom lines 9 that I may, if desired provide a substantially diagonal and additional reinforcing panel also of buckram, glued to the body of the tab, or, if desired of sheet plastic or any other semi-rigid material. In Figure 1 I have illustrated a frame portion 9 which is integral with the shank portion of the pin, the frame being of similar shape to the reinforcing portion indicated by phantom lines 9 of Figure 3; this frame together with the shank portion may in certain cases prove satisfactory even if not embedded in or associated with a buckram tab portion.

In Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, it will be seen that my pin emerges from the tab upon the length of the front edge 2 thereof, the shank of the pin being angulated to lie parallel with, or alongside the front edge 2, but free thereof so that it may be inserted into the customary tape I!) which is commonly applied against the underside of the front edge 4 of collars such as I am describing.

The shank of the pin will preferably extend almost to the point H of the collar 5, but it will be apparent that the collar point region [2 is reinforced or sustained against curling by the shank only of the aforesaid pin, while however.

3 that part of the collar which I designate as the tie-knot region [3 is reinforced by the tab I, the point region I4 of which, it will be noted, extends below the point of emergence [5, of the shank portion I, and diverges upwardly and away from the shank along the rearwardly and upwardly inclining edge Hi.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated a slight modification over the embodiments of Figures of 1 to 3 inclusive inasmuch as the shank 1 of my pin 6 emerges at the junction point I! of the edges 2 and I6, and certaain wearers may find this construction preferable on account perhaps of peculiarities of collar-bone structure.

From the foregoing however, and a consideration of Figure 1, it will be apparent that I have designed modifications of a collar stifiener wherein the frontal or exposed parts of the collar will present a smooth, molded and pleasing appearance inasmuch as the tie-knot region l3 will flow or merge more smoothly into What I designate as the collar-bone region l8, which region also will necessarily merge equally smoothly into the collar-band region I9. Furthermore, since the upper edge region 20 of the tab I is comparatively flexible, including the upper corner region 2|, it Will be apparent that a pleasing and natural conformature Will be imparted to the tie-band region 22.

As will be discerned from Figure '2, the corner region 2! may if desired be trimmed and similarly with the right-hand and lower corners according to the anatomy or other considerations of the wearer.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described and many apparently Widely different embodiments of same made within the scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanyin specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire only such limitations placed thereon as are specifically expressed in the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A collar stiffener comprising a semi-rigid tab, said tab being bounded by edges of which one is parallel with and adjacent at least the mid-section of the front edge of a collar, a pin in combination with said tab, said pin comprising a web portion embedded in said tab to reinforce the same over at least a portion of its area, and a shank portion projecting from said tab between the ends of the herein specified edge, and being angulated to lie parallel with, but externally spaced from said edge as and for the purpose specified. I

2. In a collar stiffener, a flexible tie-knot area reinforcing form portion-having one edge thereof designed to lie parallel with the front edge of the collar, a pin secured to said form portion and projecting from said form portion at a point upon the length of said edge between the ends thereof, said pin being angulated externally of said form portion, and extending alongside said edge in parallel and spaced relation thereto.

3. A collar stiffener comprising in combination a pin and a semi-rigid tab, said tab being bounded by edges of which one is substantially parallel with and adjacent to at least the mid-section of the front edge of a collar, and another edge acutely angled with respect to the first-mentioned edge, said'last mentioned edge inclining rearwardly andupwardly toward the neckband edge of the collar, the material of the tab between said edges reinforcing the tie knot region of the collar, said pin being secured to said tab and emerging from the first-mentioned edge at a point upon the length thereof, said pin being angled to lie parallel to, but externally spaced from, said first-mentioned edge, and projecting beyond the end of the first-mentioned edge to reinforce alone, the collar point region.

'LOCKSLEY D. MCNEILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,360,433 Newton Nov. 30,1920 1,790,341 Deidrick Jan. 2'7, 1931 1,968,519 Frederick July 31, 1934 2,004,288 Krick June 11, 1935 

